There was a time in our industry when whey was more waste product than valuable byproduct. The whey that remained from cheese making was either discarded or spread on farmers’ fields years ago.
It was widely known whey was a protein-rich ingredient, yet it held little practical use with manufacturers because of its harsh flavor. Scientists began conducting research on whey processing and functionality, and eventually cracked the code which has unlocked its full potential.
Today, whey is a profitable value-added ingredient that has greatly enhanced milk’s value, as its consumption has more than doubled over the last 20 years.
The whey story is just one example of the behind-the-scenes work conducted every day through the National Dairy Foods Research Center program that receives significant support from dairy farmers through their national and local dairy checkoff. There are six regionally based centers affiliated with a network of universities, and they are celebrating their 30-year anniversary this year.
There is much to recognize over these last three decades, but the exciting part is: There is much more that will come from them. Scientists at these centers – and those of us at DMI who manage and guide their mission – work with a daily purpose of helping to find ways we can further build global demand for dairy.
There are more than 100 people with globally recognized expertise who work on farmers’ behalf to enhance and create dairy innovation and build consumer confidence in dairy.
Each research center has its own proficiencies. Some feature expertise in food safety, while others may be the go-to source for cheese production or ingredients. All of them have the facilities and technical experts needed to help the industry introduce new or improved products into the marketplace.
They all accelerate innovation, and that helps our goal of providing consumers with the dairy products they want and how they want them.
Since 1987, the centers have worked with farmer-founded organizations including the National Dairy Council, Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy and U.S. Dairy Export Council.
The centers also have been a valuable resource to numerous companies across the industry, including some checkoff partners. For example, McDonald’s leverages the Southeast Dairy Center’s sensory capabilities in evaluating its product offerings.
These companies also provide financial support to the centers, and some work with them on individual projects. A company may approach a center about crystals forming during the cheese-making process. Our scientists have seen this occur previously and can explain what causes it and how to prevent it – or a milk processor may need an answer to a flavor issue they’re experiencing.
It’s like having a dairy doctor on call at all times.
Artisan cheese training
Food safety is a key component of building and maintaining consumer confidence in dairy. This takes on added importance as artisan cheese continues to grow in popularity. More than 1.4 billion pounds of specialty cheese is produced annually across the U.S. In Wisconsin alone, specialty cheese production has more than doubled in the last decade.
Much of this cheese is being produced by people who are passionate about cheese but not necessarily the science of cheese making, so they are eager to learn from experts. Dairy research centers provide 17 artisan/specialty/farmstead cheese “short courses” and hands-on training to hundreds of attendees each year.
The research centers offer cutting-edge technical insights and knowledge to help increase growth in this category, and many champions of the annual World Cheese Contest have gone through this training.
But there is much more to the cheese story. Work done through the research centers has helped improve sales of natural cheeses to the point where consumption has doubled over the last 20 years.
The centers have developed technology to create unique and value-added cheeses that have distinct flavors, textures, lower sodium and attributes desired by consumers. These advancements have spurred new and diverse offerings that are meeting consumer demand.
There also have been improvements in pizza cheese, providing products with better stretch and melting capabilities. Researchers also are helping meet consumer demand for shredded, natural and processed cheese by continually improving on what we already have, helping companies stay ahead of the curve and improving their product lines.
The research expands well beyond cheese. We’ve combined our efforts with industry innovation to help processors develop capabilities to improve quality and functionality of ingredients to be competitive in international markets and continue to grow the $4 billion export market.
We’ve also been engaged in various innovation efforts that support the revitalization of fluid milk and growth of dairy beverages, Greek yogurt and other innovative cultured dairy products with higher protein concentrations.
Cultivating future leaders
While these centers are producing solutions to help the industry today, we’re also producing much of the dairy industry’s workforce and leaders of tomorrow. These research centers have some of the most gifted students you will ever meet, and they are intent on furthering their careers in the dairy industry.
They see firsthand our mission and how important it is to dairy farmers. They see the hard work which occurs on behalf of farmers to determine what is most critical to drive innovation in the industry and also address challenges in food safety.
Every day, we conduct strategic planning with lots of stakeholders and gather their input to try and make a difference for the industry. We then fund what we think is the most impactful/high-end research.
We’ve been able to make a difference in these last 30 years for farmers. The foundation is in place for even more successes to come our way. 
Your Dairy Checkoff in Action – The following update is provided by Dairy Management Inc. (DMI), which manages the national dairy checkoff program on behalf of America’s dairy producers and dairy importers. DMI is the domestic and international planning and management organization responsible for increasing sales of and demand for dairy products and ingredients.
